


Belated

by endgame



Category: Messiah Project - All Media Types
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-29
Updated: 2015-06-29
Packaged: 2018-04-06 19:29:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4233888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/endgame/pseuds/endgame
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's something keeping Eiri in bed in the mornings. (Part of the same au as Hereafter, so read the notes for that!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Belated

Waking up like this is rare. Usually by the time Haku pries open his eyes, he finds himself lying alone in the big bed. In some cases it's accompanied with the sounds of clattering and a kettle going off in the kitchen, and if - god forbid - he whines out Eiri's name and a request for him to just stay home already for once, it's met by some half-angry (Haku knows it's just _fussy_ ) yelling about how he's trying to make breakfast and someone here has to earn the money for the two of them to be able to stay in this apartment and to be able to afford all of Haku's candy. In the worst case, however, Eiri is already gone to leave for his job in the morning, and there's usually a note left on the fridge with instructions on where he can find breakfast and lunch (always neatly prepared for him), a scribble about how Eiri might be home a little bit later because of overwork, and a request for him to finally clean up that pile of empty juice boxes that had been gathering on one of the tables.

Today is neither of those cases though. It's a very rare occasion, but when Haku opens his eyes today, Eiri is still right there in bed with him. Eiri wakes up earlier than him most of the time even on his days off, so Haku blinks a little blearily at the guy next to him in bed. He doesn't even know if this is a day off for Eiri or that he's just overslept, and Haku lazily turns his head just a little to be able to glance at the calendar.

.. Wednesday. Eiri is _definitely_ supposed to be working right now. And it's not like the other to sleep in at all, let alone oversleep when he's got responsibilities waiting for him.

Turning his head back towards the other, Haku carefully attempts to move in such a way that won't wake up the shorter guy, holding his head to his forehead to see if maybe he's just sick. But there's no signs of a fever, Haku's fingers only meeting cool skin. (He's quick enough to retreat with the fingers in this case, anyway, because as much fun as it would be to tease Eiri with having to wake up to that sort of thing, he doesn't really want to wake up the other just yet.)

It's not like he can't think of any other cause though as he slowly rubs his eyes to get rid of some of the bleariness, an empty juicebox toppling off the bed as he moves slightly. He knows stuff hasn't been too easy for Eiri - he's already been looking tired the past few days with all the overwork he had to do. Not like there was much to be done about it though. Eiri, having spent more of his life outside of the Church than Haku, had fit back into society a whole lot more neatly, so of course the part of bringing in the money during their first few weeks of independance fell on his shoulders. Not that it hadn't bothered Haku, because despite natural laziness and all he didn't want to just drop everything on Eiri's shoulders. They're still Messiah, just more in bond than in official title now, after all. But there were so many things that seemed so basic to a lot of people out there that he just didn't _get_ , so it's not like he could land a job to begin with. He just didn't have the necessary skills. Being professional about Sakura business had grown easier over the years, but because his development had been so focused on that, the ability entirely stuck to just that. And what kind of job would fit with that, anyway? A security guard? Sure, he might be able to do that pretty well, but it'd be way too easy for his way too high skills to seem out of place there. So Haku usually ended up staying home - eating candy, bringing in stray animals and taking care of them, watching pretty much every single channel that their television could receive just to be able to absorb information about a world he hadn't ever really been able to keep touch with. (Even if most of it ended up with telling Eiri the most random facts during moments of small talk - from the fact that the orca in Free Willy showed back up at the Norwegian coast after being released since it craved human contact once more all the way to the fact that you would be in space in an hour if you'd just be able to drive a car straight up into the sky - which was met with small amusement at best and yelling that he should do something more useful like _cleaning up_ at worst, depending on the other's mood after work.)

Then that's most likely it, huh? Eiri's just way too overworked because he's trying to take care of both of them. Haku might seem like an idiot half of the time, but he's smart enough to be able to know when Eiri is fussing over something, and he had seemed even more occupied with that the past few days than he had been before. Maybe he was afraid about not making enough money for them to stay here, or maybe it's just that he's had very little time he wasn't working or sleeping.. 

.. either way, this isn't going to do. He can't just sit here and let Eiri overwork himself to death, right?

Really pushing himself to be a functioning member of society and get an actual job might be the good long term step towards helping that, but as for what he can do right now..

Haku drops back down to the bed, but instead of just turning over and going back to sleep, he scoots right over to the other guy. Long limbs sneak around Eiri - his arms around Eiri's torso, pulling the other against him, their legs entangling - to a point where he's practically blocked from going anywhere but staying right there.

It's nice and warm and it's one of those rare moments where Eiri doesn't struggle against it to get him off right off the bat. Just since he isn't aware of it just yet. So Haku does enjoy that moment before he can feel Eiri _shift_ in just that way that lets him know the other is starting to stir into wakefulness.

And it's not even a second or two later that the stirring goes straight into wiggling when his sort-of-Messiah realises what sort of situation he's stuck in. And it's definitely not a second later that the usual shrill yell resounds through the bedroom-- " _Haku_!"

Yup. Eiri sure is awake. And Haku isn't budging an inch against the flailing in his arms.

"Haku-- let go of me! I have a shift today, you can't just fool around like this! Be more serious..!"

Haku's only response is an acted sleepy groan (he's already plenty awake by this time, but what fun is it to not pretend all the same?) as he pulls Eiri just that slight bit tighter, burying his nose into the crook of Eiri's neck. Thank god attempts in pushing his Messiah away before - out of what he thought to be necessity - have made it pretty easy to cover up his true intentions by now. It's easier to keep Eiri here in bed by being himself about it rather than voicing his concerns, that way the other doesn't have to think as much about it.

"I swear, Haku..!"

Besides, it's pretty warm. And comforting, just like Eiri's presence always is. He wouldn't mind lying here for a bit like this even without ulterior motives, clinging to the other like a child might cling to their teddy bear.

"If you don't release me-- ugh!"

He'll even take the possiblity of going deaf early because of the yelling he endures every single day.

"I'll-- I'll throw all of your candy out of the window! I'll do it, you know! Don't test me..!"

.. okay, maybe he should really do at least a little bit more before that hearing damage turns permanent, huh? He doesn't move an inch from his current position and doesn't let go of Eiri even in the slightest, but Haku does at least bother to speak up in a low and faked-sleepy tone. "Hmm, morning, Eiri.."

" _Morning?!_ That's all you have to say?! At thi--"

Casually interrupting that rant mid-sentence (because Haku knows Eiri, and he knows that Eiri could ramble and rant on for long enough to distract himself from going to work without any effort on his part at this rate, but at the same time, it'd be pretty bothersome for him to be stuck listening to it all day), Haku stretches casually in such a way that pokes Eiri in the side just enough to give him a moment to quickly speak up in the silence it causes. "Just stay a little bit more.." It's not like it isn't a very typical protest. On the rare occasions that he does wake up when Eiri does as well, it's never really helped to make Eiri really stay.

But it does make him hesitate, and it's really easy to notice from how close they are right now. Eiri's flailing stops, and when he speaks up again, he isn't still yelling. Instead his voice is much more on a normal level, and there's a spark of concern in it. "You know I can't." It's harder for him to say it this way though, it's easy to tell from that shift in his tone, from the way Eiri tries to turn his head a little to look at Haku and his expression until he realises it's impossible in their current positions. "Besides, it's just for the day, I promise I'll be right back after dinner."

"You're already late."

Haku's declaration, however sleepily faked, is like a bombshell being dropped. Eiri freezes up for a moment, glances around for a clock, and the moment he finds once the reaction is nothing short of panic. Haku actually has to tighten his grip a little to make sure the other doesn't drop himself out of bed right there and then.

"Haku, let go." This time it's less of a yell. The emotion in Eiri's voice isn't anger anymore, it's worry, panic, desperation. It shows Haku just how much Eiri has been thinking about work all this time, how worried he must have been about providing for both of them. He's probably the least qualified person to judge anyone for it, but still, the way Eiri always tries to withhold worrying matters from him as if he's a child.. "Seriously. Maybe if I apologize to them, it'll be alright.."

" _Eiri_." The tone is just a little more insistent than usually - just enough to make a difference with his usual carefree tone, and just enough to draw Eiri's attention. It's why his tone drops a little bit more (but still not all the way) back to a mumble when the taller man continues. "Staying home just for one day won't hurt you. You're always there and on time anyway." No way they could fire him over just that, right? Especially not since going on with working like this might just make the other pass out - that can't exactly be good for their productivity either. "So.. stay. It's alright."

There's a moment where Haku can tell Eiri is mentally struggling with the idea. He knows it's not as easy to give into this sort of idea as it is for Haku - and he also figures that the other is probably trying to figure out whether this is selfishness or concern on Haku's part.

(Haku is perfectly fine with him not knowing specifically, although he also knows that Eiri will figure out he's concerned. They're Messiah, after all. Even now. Eiri knows him better than anyone, if anyone could figure it out, it's him.)

That last part is most likely the reason Eiri's panicked movements still after a moment. He doesn't even bother getting out of Haku's grip either, as if he's just accepted the fact that he's going to be used like a teddy bear here. Or maybe he enjoys this warmth and contact between them just as much as Haku does right now, despite the other's usual protests. Haku hopes so, anyway.

".. fine. Just today."

He smiles against the skin of Eiri's neck. He always gets what he wants when he knows exactly how to press the other's buttons - but then again, it's not like it's for a bad goal in this case. It's for Eiri's own wellbeing.

But for the sake of the other's dignity (just this once though, okay?) Haku doesn't respond out loud, nor does he brag about the fact that he's gotten what he wants. Eiri being here all warm and cozy in his arms is enough of a prize for him, honestly.

He's perfectly content with just settling in like this, closing his eyes so he can get a little bit more sleep in the most comfortable way possible.

Although something unexpected - even to Haku - happens after a moment or two. It's soft, especially compared to the usual volume, but...

".. thanks, Haku."

Ah.

Eiri is totally on to his true intentions here, just like he figured, huh? The gratitude being expressed out loud definitely wasn't something he was expecting though.

And even Haku - of all people - would feel bad making fun of it when it's coming out like this.

"Anytime." It's why that is his only answer, and Haku doesn't fall back asleep again until he feels Eiri's body relaxing and his breath steadying enough to know he's fallen asleep.

Who says he can't be the one to fuss for once?


End file.
